Depth-indicating device



H. W. KING. DEPTH INDIGATING DEVICE. ,APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1919.

Patented June 13, 31922.

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HORACE W. KING, 01E ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

DEPTH-INDICATING DEVICE.

Application filed May 17,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hermon. W. KING, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Ann Arbor, in the county of VVashtenaw and State ofMichigan, haveinve-nted certain new and useful Improvements inDepth-Indicating Devices, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to devices for indicating the depths of liquidsand refers par-- ticularly to devices for indicating the depths ofvolatile liquids In the past, in the manufacture of depth measuringdevices having an air chamber in communication with a volatile liquid,the vapor from the volatile liquid has a tendency to mix with the air inthe air chamber, there by increasing the pressure within the air chamberand forcing a portion of the air out of. the chamber and into thetankcontaining the volatile liquid. When the air tempera ture drops, aportion of this vapor condenses and as a consequence the amount of airmixed with vapor in the air chamber is reduced, thereby causing theelevation of the surface of the volatile liquid within the air chamberto rise beyond where it should be.. This introduces a comparativelylarge error in the readings upon the indicating gage, especially whenthere is a large variation in the temperature of the air.

My construction overcomes this objectionable feature and furthermore issimple and operates to substantially accurately measure the depth of aliquid.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of a device embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 3is a diagrammatic view showing the device attached tothe-gasoline tank of an automobile.

My depth measuring device has a number of uses, such as measuring thedepths of natural bodies of water, of liquids held in upon automobiles.

containers, and the draught of floating objects; but, as shown in thepresent instance, the device is used for measuring the depth of volatileliquids such as gasoline intanks In order that my device may operatesubstantially accurately, it is necessary; first, that the area of ahorizontal section of the air chamber, which is immersed in thegasoline, be many times greater than the inner cross-sectional area ofthe pressure Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 113, 1922.

1919. Serial No. 297,807.

height of the air chamber be relatively small as compared to the depthof the gasoline being measured; and third, that means he providedbetween the air in the air chamber and the gasoline for preventing vaporfrom the gasoline mixing with the air.

1 is a receptacle, in the present instance of rectangular horizontalcross-section. This receptacle has a parallel top and bottom 2 and 3 andvertical sides 4:. This receptacle is located in the gasoline tank 5 ofan automobile and preferably at the bottom thereof, and is held in placeby means of the rigid pipe 6 secured to the receptacle and attached tothe top of the tank 5. 7 is a partition extending transversely of thereceptacle 1 and from the top 2 to adjacent the bottom 3 thereof andforming the slot 8. The oints between the sides 4 and the top 2 and thepartition 7 are air tight. This partition forms the chambers 9 and 10,the chamber 9 communicating with the rigid pipe 6 and the chamber 10communicating with the gasoline through the aperture 11 formed in itstop and also through the hole 12.

The chamber 9 is an air chamber and the vertical distance between thetop and bottom 3 is small as compared with the depth of the gasoline inthe tank 5 when the latter is full, the smaller the percentage of thisdistance to this depth the greater the relaive accuracy. The area of thehorizontal cross-section of this air chamber 9 is large in comparisonwith the cross-sectional area of-the pipe 6, the larger the ratio ofthese areas the greater the accuracy of the device. Due to therelatively small height and the relatively large cross sectional area ofthe air chamber there are only slight difi'erences in height of theliquid in the air chamber under yarying depths of the liquid beingmeasured.

The chambers 9 and 10 contain a non-volatile liquid which isnon-miscible with and must be of greater density than the gasoline beingmeasured, such as lycerin. This nonvolatile liquid is poured into thereceptacle 1 through the aperture 11 in the compartment 10 and entersinto the air chamber 9 through the slot 8. A small aperture 12 isprovided in the side of the compartment 10 for limiting the height ofthe non-volatile liquid in the receptacle. The hole 12 also allows thechamber 10 to communicate with low where it would otherwise be possible.

The level of this non-volatile liquid is the same upon both sides of thepartition 7 before the receptacle is installed in the gasoline tank 5.

This non-volatile liquid traps air in the air chamber 9 when thereceptacle is placed in the tank 5 with its top and bottom substantiallyhorizontal. The air in this chamber communicates with the leg 13 of a U-shaped pressure gage 14 through the rigid pipe 6 and the flexible tube15, which latter has an internal cross-sectional area of substantiallythe same size as that of the pipe 6.

In the event that the depth of gasoline under pressure other thanatmosphere is to be measured, a tube .16 must be provided which connectsthe top of the gasoline tank 5 with the other leg 17 of the U-shapedgage 14. I

In operation, the non-miscible non-volatile liquid preferably heavierthan gasoline is poured into the receptacle 1 until it reaches theaperture 12 in the receptacle. This receptacle is then placed in thegasoline tank 5 with its top and bottom approximately horizontal.Gasoline enters the compartment 10 through the aperture 11 and hole 12and the pressure of the gasoline is transferred to the surface of thenon-volatile liquid and then to the air in the air chamber 9. After theair in this chamber and tubes 6 and 15 become sufiiciently compressed,the non-volatile liquid rises to a level in the air chamber slightlyabove its previous level when the pressure of the airbalances the weightof the gasoline and is approximately equal to it. A measure of thispressure reduced to proper units, as by graduations upon the pressuregage, indicates the depth of the gasoline being measured.

What I claim as my invention is:

, 1. In a device for indicating the depth of a liquid, the combinationwith a receptacle within said liquid provided with two compartments incommunication with each other near the bottom of said receptacle,

said compartments containing a non-volatile liquid non-miscible with andof greater density than the liquid being measured, one of thecompartments provided with an openingabove the level of the non-volatileliquid therein for communicating with the liquid being measured, and theother of the compartments forming an air chamber, of a pressuregage, anda pipe .connection between said gage and air chamber.

2. In a device for indicating the depth of a liquid, the combinationwith a receptacle within the liquid and having a partition thereinextending from the top to near the bottom thereof to forma pair, ofcommunicating compartments, said compartments containing a non-volatileliquid of greater density than the liquid being measured, of a pressuregage, a pipe connection between said pressure gage and one of saidcompartments, said pipe connection connect-- ing with said compartmentinits upper wall, and the other of said compartments having an openingtherein above the level of said non-volatile liquid.

In testimony whereofI aflix my HORACE W;

si ature.

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